The Only Exception
by De Fideli
Summary: Post Special Education, 2x9. Will some old competition remind Finn why he fought so hard for Rachel in the first place?
1. Chapter 1

Rachel drove home as fast as she could, not caring about everything that was going on. She didn't even bother going to Glee club practice because she knew what was in store there for her. She knew Santana, Quinn and Mercedes would be waiting to comment on another flaw of hers like they did everyday and she knew nobody would stand up for her. Not even Finn anymore.

But now that she thought about it, when did Finn ever stand up for her? Of course, he wasn't very capable of witty comebacks of any sort, but he could've at least stopped it all from happening. She got even more furious as she drove home thinking about this, but she knew that she deserved everything that had just gotten thrown at her. _Why did I even expect anything better than this_, she thought. _It was way too good to be true_.

She got home and somberly made her way up the stairs without saying a word. She knew her dads would be wondering what the matter was, considering she was always rambling off something when she went home, even if she was in a bad mood.

But this wasn't just any bad mood. She had never felt anything like it before. It was like when she was little, and she got her star-shaped cassette player taken away from her. She felt so empty without Finn, as if the ground underneath her had just given in and nothing was stable anymore.

She didn't even want to sing anymore. She knew that Glee club was _her _thing, but she couldn't bear to face all of their faces. Not now. Not for a long time.

She thought about why all of this had happened. She knew Finn probably wasn't going to hear her out anytime soon, and there really wasn't anything she could do about that. She didn't want to hurt him anymore, she just wanted to be left alone. Rachel wanted to feel something that was _real_. It actually felt exhilarating for her to hear the truth from her teammates, that they didn't like her, because she wanted to hear the truth. Now that she heard it from all of her teammates, including Finn, it was actually quite exhilarating. She knew she would still feel the hurt after a while, but it was nice to know that something good came out of it all.

Rachel looked around her room after shutting the door behind her. There were still remnants of Finn all around the place. _Well, I might as well start now_, she thought, as she picked up an empty box from her closet. She picked up every picture frame around his room and carefully placed them in the box, taking a few minutes to look at every single one of them. One was taken by her dad at regionals last year, of them singing Faithfully to each other. She knew that definitely topped Sam and Quinn's carbon copy, but it didn't matter anymore. Another was taken at Breadstix, after the duet competition when Finn decided that they were winners anyway. There were more around, and she took them all down non-stop. There was definitely some hesitation present, because she still believed there was a slight sliver of hope for them. But she knew that she had to do something for herself for now. It took about two hours to take down everything, but at least it was a step forward.

She took a sweatshirt he gave her from her closet and folded it neatly, placing it in a box. Finally, she took the golden Finn necklace out of her pocket. She had no idea what to do with it all day after she took it off, and now she finally knew where it belonged. With the rest of what was left with her relationship.

She decided that she wasn't going to be a diva about any of it like she usually was. She wanted Finn to be happy, and she knew that he was always looking for something more. Soon, she found her scolding herself for ignoring all the signs of his unhappiness. Maybe all he wanted was the freedom that he deserved. Who was she to hold him back from that? She was always at the bottom of the totem pole, and he was always the one who deserved to be at the top. Maybe her selfishness was what finally drove him away. It wasn't Santana. It was all Rachel Berry.

Rachel took the box and quickly fled down the stairs with her box and got into her car. Because of her fathers' constant concern over her personal life, she knew that she couldn't just dump it out in front of her house. She pulled up to the park that she was so fond of, and walked to the dumpster to throw out the box.

"Rachel?" A voice said, and she turned around. Just her luck, it was Finn, decked in an Underarmour sweatsuit, sweaty and panting. Rachel froze in place. For once, she was speechless and didn't know what to say at a time like this. There was something inside of her that didn't want him to see what was inside the box; she didn't want him to know that she was already starting to give up, in case he was reconsidering the situation. "Wh-what are you doing? Is that my sweatshirt in there?" He saw the familiar print.

"Um, no, it's actually one of my dads'. They wanted me to throw stuff out, and they didn't want the front of our house to have any clutter," Rachel said, rapidly trying to think of a story. _Nice save_, she said to herself.

Finn, however, didn't buy it. "Rach, what are you doing," he said, with an exasperated tone. It was as if he was so tired of everything already, like someone who had just given up.

"Please," Rachel said, with a sincere pleading tone. "Please don't call me that. This sounds overdramatic, but I promise you it's not, but I'm really trying not to think about anything that reminds me of what just happened."

"I don't understand," he replied after a long pause. "Why do you want to forget? I, that's supposed to be my job…"

"Listen, Finn, I understand what happened, and I know that I fully deserve it. I've finally realized that it was way too good to be true. I know you need space, and I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I need one too, just to come to terms with reality again," she explained in a melancholic tone. She didn't mean for it to show through, but if there was one thing that Finn learned from all these months of dating her, it was that there was always a certain brightness to Rachel's eyes either with happiness or with anger. Her emotions always showed but right now, she was just completely blank and unreadable and… cold. He watched Rachel walk away, get into her car, and drive off while he stood there, perfectly still.

Did she not care about their relationship? She really didn't look too concerned about what was going on anymore. Especially since she threw out all his stuff. Was there some sort of competition on who would get over the other one first?

He wanted to win. So why was he pulling out the box from the dumpster and bringing it back to his car?


	2. Chapter 2

**Haha, guys, I have NO idea why the last chapter got bolded and underlined, honestly. The website did it all by itself without any help. But, sorry about that, I'm sure it annoyed a lot of you readers. But thanks for reviewing anyway! Keep 'em coming.**

It was now Friday morning at school, and Finn got out of his car and headed into the school. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see Rachel or not. Of course he wanted to see the most beautiful face in the world, in the cutest outfits ever. But he didn't want to see her and think about how this was all his fault. How she probably didn't even miss him and already got over the relationship.

Honestly, he just wanted Rachel to go back to her diva self. He wanted to see that passion in her eyes and the way she just projected her emotion with whatever she talked about. She never kept anything hidden from the rest of the world.

Maybe it was because she didn't have anything to hide. She had this certain pride to herself. Finn, on the other hand, knew he had to keep that exterior because he never opened up to anyone. Well, except for Rachel.

Rachel walked into McKinley High, and all she could think about today was the gloom that covered her world. She even dressed to show her emotion, with a long-sleeved black sweater dress and grey leggings, with black ankle boots. No sequins or sparkles, no vibrant colors. She didn't have anything to show anymore.

The brunette reminisced about the times when she felt so superior to Santana and the rest of the girls in Glee club. It was because she had Finn and a relationship that was stronger than any of them could understand.

But now, what made her better than them anymore? Or, even up to their level? She was back to the bottom. In the end, Rachel Berry was just another annoying, obnoxious and dramatic loser. Basically, she was the loser of the losers.

She didn't have anything to hold her head up high over anymore. Everything that she had, nobody else wanted. And everything that she wanted, she didn't have. Especially not Finn.

Yes, she did want Finn. She wanted to know that she mattered to at least one person, no matter how much everyone else belittled her. Finn made her feel like she was on top of the world, even if it was just for a few minutes everyday. It was what kept her going.

It wasn't like she had anything else going for her. Rachel knew in her heart that she was going to be an amazing Broadway star as soon as she finished school. She would win her Tony's and in her thank you speeches, she always wondered if she would include the Glee club. She leaned more towards the negative side now, of course.

As she walked into her first hour Chemistry class, her cellphone vibrated in her pocket. Rachel took a seat on one of the high lab tables, also known as the easiest desks to text off of known to any student in McKinley High.

_Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?_

_- Jesse_

Rachel looked at the number to make sure that it wasn't a prank. Nope, it was really him. It was a huge coincidence that he texted her that specific line. She wanted to know who the rat was who told Jesse St. James the news, and why. She still hated him, only with less intensity. She knew that he was always someone who understood how he was feeling, despite his arrogant exterior.

_Who told you?_

_- Rachel _

It was Glee club practice now, and Mr. Schuester was going on and on about how they were going to seize Regionals this year with an amazing line up, and some other motivating speech. Finn was still slightly mad at him for not giving Rachel and him the solo. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't even have tied with the Warblers. He sat on the back row, in the very left hand side of the classroom. It was completely opposite to Rachel's position, always on the first row on the right.

His best view of her was the back of her head, and he was content with that. In fact, to him, it was the optimum position. He could still slightly see her beauty whenever she turned her head towards the rest of the Glee club members, but he didn't have to see her empty eyes once again.

But something was deeply bothering Finn now, and of course, it was still about Rachel. It was about how she flipped her cellphone open every 2 minutes and typed away on the keyboard.

Finn chose to believe that it was Kurt she was talking to, updating him about the Glee club. Hopefully not leaking their set list or anything bad like that. Of course, he didn't know why Rachel would ever do that, but he knew it was possible that she could have one of her diva spurts again.

Then he saw the corners of her lips curl upwards. A smile. Finn started internally freaking out. What if it's not Kurt? He turned to Puck to check if he had his cellphone in his hands or something. Nope.

And it couldn't be Kurt. Dalton Academy had a strict no cellphones policy during the school day, and their day ended thirty minutes later than McKinley's did. Finn knew that because Kurt was always getting mad when Burt tried to call him during the school day.

As if Mr. Schuester had read his mind, he spoke up, "Rachel, no cellphones allowed in practice. You know that rule very well."

"…was she just smiling at her phone?" Tina piped up.

"Kurt just said something funny," Rachel shrugged and put the phone away.

_No, he didn't_, Finn thought, his stomach turning. She even _lied _about it. He knew something was going on.

"Rachel, why don't you sing us a song that fit's the 50's and 60's theme this year?" Mr. Schuester suggested. "I'm trying to focus on a time when there weren't any synthesizers or autotune or electrical instruments, and I'm sure you can pull something out."

"Oh great, it's probably going to be a song about her depression and heartbreak and blah blah blah," Mercedes grumbled, mad at the fact that Mr. Schuester didn't point her out.

"Actually, I have just the perfect song I was thinking about," Rachel said, forming another small smile.

Finn had to smile a little bit for that moment. That is, before he caught himself and turned it back into a frown. He knew that Rachel thought in song and whenever she had a feeling, she would find a song to match it.

Rachel walked up to the front of the room and whispered to the piano man the song she intended to sing.

_Birds flyin' high you know how I feel  
Sun in the sky you know how I feel  
Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel  
Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me  
yeah, its a new dawn its a new day its a new life for me ooooooooh  
AND I'M FEELING GOOD_

Fish in the sea, you know how I feel  
River runnin' free you know how I feel  
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel  
Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me  
And I'm feelin good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what i mean dont you know  
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean  
Sleepin' peace when day is done that's what I mean  
And this old world is a new world and a bold world for me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel  
Scent of the crime you know how I feel  
Your freedom is mine, and I know how I feel  
Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me  
OH I'M FEELING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD  


The group fell silent after the reaction. Never in their life had they expected her to sing a song like that a few days after her break up. This was the Rachel Berry who cried for a few days after realizing she didn't have her voice.

Finn was actually angry. Infuriated. _She just rubbed it in my face that she doesn't even care. That's great_, he said.

He didn't even want to talk to her. If she was going to play this game, then so be it. While the rest of the group was arguing on who was going to go next, he silently walked out of the room without anyone noticing.

Rachel didn't know why she was doing it, but she walked out of the room after Finn. Of course, her exit was much more dramatic than Finn's, except this time, she didn't mean for it to be intentional. She followed him out to the parking lot, just about 20 yards trailing from him.

"Finn!" she yelled, running after him.

"What, Rachel?" Finn said, turning around with a completely upset expression on his face. "What do you want from me now?"

"You can't just storm out of practice like that, they need you in there. I need you, you're the male lead that compliments my voice perfectly," Rachel explained.

Finn heard the words _I need you_ first, and he was happy for awhile that he heard it, until he realized the rest of what she just said. It was as if he was just being used. "What, so you can humiliate me even more and show me that you never gave a shit about our relationship in the first place?" he retorted.

"Finn! You broke up with me, remember? You decided that one mistake that I made was worth giving up. You don't think it's worth the fight or the struggle of keeping the relationship we once had," Rachel said, practically yelling. "I'm not trying to humiliate you. I'm trying to get everyone off my back and defending myself. I'm trying to do something that I expected out of you and you never did. I did care and I still do because it still hurts. But unlike you, I don't have my popularity to fall back into. Or friends that are going to come running to me. I have myself and that's the only person who's going to look after me."

Finn was about to object and ask her who she was texting so frequently, when a shiny black Range Rover pulled up into the parking lot.


	3. Chapter 3

The black Range Rover's windows rolled down, but Finn already knew whose face was going to be there, and he already knew how he felt about it. Jesse St. James had the nerve to show up here and Finn wanted to punch him several times for that. He expected Rachel to run away or to get extremely upset, and his heart sank when it was the opposite.

Rachel Berry's face actually lit up when she saw Jesse, as if they had been friends all along. As if the whole egging thing never happened. _What are you doing? Did you not remember what he did? Are you seriously that dumb? _Finn thought furiously, his knuckles turning white as his fists clenched the tightest they could.

"What the hell are you doing here, St. James?" Finn yelled, ready to pounce at the gorgeous car. Or, more likely, through the window and into the driver's seat.

"Finn, stop. He's actually here to pick me up." Rachel scolded Finn, and turned back to Jesse. "Isn't this a little early? I told you we were getting done at 4 today."

Jesse flashed his million dollar smile at Rachel, obviously aware that there was a raging Finn right in front of his car. "Well, it looks like I came here at exactly the right time, my lady."

By now, Finn was boiling mad. _To pick Rachel up? My lady? _And finally, he made the connection. The guy at the other end of the text messaging conversation of Rachel's was Jesse St. James.

This was much worse than Finn's other guesses, maybe even then his Puck prediction. Jesse was the biggest douche on the planet. Why was Rachel talking to him? Was this cycle happening over again? "I thought you were studying in California," Finn remarked coldly, giving Jesse the best death stare he could possibly come up with.

"Finn, when or if you get to college, there's this thing called winter break, and it's better than the weak little holidays that high school gives you," Jesse said, leaning his head out of the window of the vehicle to see the angry giant a little better.

Rachel's smile got a little bit smaller when she heard Jesse's response. She knew Finn was a complete jerk to her, but she wasn't used to someone making fun of him and her not having the right to defend him.

Finn looked at Rachel with a pained expression, and she looked towards the ground to avoid awkward eye contact. He realized that Rachel couldn't be there anymore to fight back with her feisty attitude when someone insulted him in any way.

"Enough," Rachel just said shortly. "Jesse, I'll go grab my things inside, just wait here. I'll see you around, Finn." She left still without engaging in eye contact with him, not wanting to see the hurt expression on his face.

After the brunette headed back to the building, the air was thick with tension, yet the two gentlemen kept staring each other down.

Finn turned out to be the first one to open his mouth. "If you hurt her again like you did last time, I'll-"

"You'll what, Finn? Hurt her even more just to show her how much better I am than you?"

"I wasn't the one who egged a vegan."

"You're right. You're the douche bag who slept with another girl and lied about it. The very girl who demoralized her everyday."

"How do you know all of that? And plus, those things never got to Rachel. She's too good for that. And you."

"I don't know, dumbass. Maybe it's because she needed someone to talk to when she was crying her eyes out for the past few days. Someone who would tell her the truth. That she's beautiful, and even hot, and that there's nothing that Santana has that's worth having because she already has it all."

Finn was dumbfounded. Was Jesse St. James, also known as the biggest asshole on the planet, showing him up on being the better guy for Rachel? No, there's no way.

"So what, are you two just going to get back together and have little karaoke dates until the end of time?" Finn spat.

Jesse actually chuckled a bit. He was happy to see Finn overflowing with jealousy. Partly because of the fact that during their performance of Faithfully last year, Jesse was in his place seeing Rachel and Finn sing to each other. "You mean, are we actually going to talk about all the mistakes we made and possibly forgive each other? Then yeah. And if some physical things come out of that…" he continued, with a little smirk on his face.

"No, dude, don't even dare to do that," Finn said, already reaching his boiling point.

Jesse shrugged, nonchalantly, as if Finn's anger didn't phase him at all. "Why? It's not like she's yours anymore, Hudson," he said, rolling up his windows as he saw Rachel coming towards the car.

_Looks like they kept on talking, _Rachel thought as she walked up, wondering why Finn hadn't left yet. She didn't bother saying anything to Finn, so she just went around him and got in the passenger seat of Jesse's car. Jesse put the car on drive, went around Finn and drove off.

Finn stared blankly at the concrete, trying to put together what had just happened. Everything was turned upside down in his world. Rachel wasn't his anymore, and she wasn't even trying to do anything about it. Maybe the whole Christmas Tree Farm incident had discouraged her, but he didn't expect her to move on that fast. Especially not to Jesse. What's worse was that Jesse actually seemed to be succeeding, and the fact that it looked like Rachel was happy. He wanted her to be happy, so bad. For the first time in a long time, Finn saw that light in Rachel's eyes when she saw the Range Rover pull up. It made him happy to see it, but at the same time, he despised how Jesse was the source of it. How could he not realize that maybe, he had waited too long, and a prize like Rachel was bound to be swept up anytime? Finn got in his car and hit his steering wheel the hardest he could. Of course, that didn't do anything, but he didn't know what to do anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel sat quietly in the passenger seat of Jesse's car. The interior was quite elegant, she had to say. Her mom definitely knew how to give gifts to their Glee club. Jesse's, of course, was equipped with all the top-of-the-line features, the rearview camera, voice synchronization, and the best sound system she could find. She rewarded her star singer very, very well.

Jesse glanced at Rachel every few seconds, knowing that she probably wasn't as happy as she should be. "You look great, Rachel."

Rachel's lips formed a small smile. She hadn't gotten a compliment for a while now. In fact, she had been showered with insults from most of the glee club, as usual. And Finn's compliments weren't there to neutralize it, but now at least Jesse helped. "I still love him, you know…" she said, trailing off for a bit before regaining her confidence. "I mean, I know that's definitely not what I should say to win you over, but I just wanted to tell you the truth. I know you'd understand, because you understand me.

Jesse grinned, and laughed a bit. Of course he knew Rachel. He was just like her, in most ways. Finn had no idea about the things that Rachel thought about, because he couldn't quite possibly fathom how dramatic Rachel was. "I know, Rachel," Jesse said. "In all honesty, I did tell him the truth in the parking lot when you were gone. That he screwed up big time, and the way he acted doesn't exactly deserve to be cared about by a nice girl like you."

Was Jesse being… a friend? Rachel didn't understand. She had to admit, Finn and Jesse were probably the two most different people in the world. Jesse was always that calm and collected guy, who definitely had a way with words. He projected his emotions like no other, but he could also cover them up and lie like no other. There was something about Jesse's sophistication that attracted girls to him from every direction. And, of course, the fact that he had a paralleled voice. Finn, on the other hand, had this compassionate and approachable aura to him. Unlike Jesse, someone could tell how sincere Finn was not by what he said, but how he said it. Even with his cute awkwardness, Rachel knew that he was trying the best he could to make her smile. _Why am I even thinking about him_, Rachel sighed. "Well… what did he say back?"

"You know, it's kind of funny to think about it now. He was mad, Rachel. The guy was like, furious. You'd think that he wouldn't be, considering he was the one who broke up with you two times," he said. "You don't have to win me over, you know."

Rachel turned to him with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when winter break's all done, I'll be back in California and you'll still be here, and I don't want to put you through something like that. I don't expect you to come running back to me or anything. In fact, we don't even have to go on a single date," Jesse said, and then a smirk formed on his face. "But, on the other hand, I may be useful for another aspect of your love life…"

Rachel's eyes widened, implying that she took that the wrong way, in a very suave Jesse sort of way. "Jesse, I am NOT some girl you can just-," she began, before Jesse started laughing hard. She furrowed her eyebrows, now confused again, and somewhat mad that it seemed like Jesse was making fun of her.

"I wasn't talking about sleeping with you, Rachel. I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but from what I've picked up from your story, I think we should probably stay out of the bed to prevent more chaos," Jesse said. Oh, dramatic Rachel and her outbursts. He hadn't gotten tired of that. "I meant, I could be of use to you. You can make poor Finn jealous."

"There's something I still don't understand… I know we've hated each other for awhile and just got back together for a reconciliation, but I thought all of that was because you wanted to get back together with me," Rachel responded, with her usual rambling-on voice. "What's in it for you now, if it isn't me being your romantic interest?"

Jesse laughed again. By now, Rachel was getting annoyed due to the fact that it seemed like Jesse was mocking her. "You know, I may be extremely persuasive and everything, but not everything I do is to try and get you in bed. I'm trying this new thing, it's called being a friend. I know we're not going to have that epic romance that I promised you, and sadly, Finn actually has more of a chance at that than I do. Quite frankly, I want you to be happy," Jesse explained. Rachel was actually surprised by his answer. "I'm still attracted to you and everything, and not gonna lie, I still have feelings for you. But I know you'll be around in my life for awhile, considering we'll be co-stars on the stage someday. Finn, on the other hand… poor guy. He only has a few chances at it and he's already screwing it up."

"Who are you, and what have you done to the cocky bastard named Jesse St. James?" Rachel asked jokingly.

"He went to college. Had to work hard for the first time for a lead role for once in his life. Humbled him a bit. And he realized that nobody really liked him too much anyway," Jesse shrugged, as if this was just some everyday story.

Rachel didn't really know what was going on or where this was going, but she just smiled. It was nice to have a friend. Of course, she had Kurt to tell all her problems to, but Jesse was different. He had a deep insight on relationships, for some reason, and Rachel had taken a liking to that. "Thank you, Jesse, so much," Rachel said with the warmest smile, as he pulled up to her house.

Jesse smiled back. "I know, I'm just that amazing," he joked, and Rachel rolled her eyes in a lighthearted way. She got off the car and waved goodbye at him while walking towards her house.

* * *

Finn sat in the weight room, punching his fists away on the punching bag. How could Rachel do this to her? He knew it would hurt him. It wasn't enough that she had to cheat on him with Puck. She went back to her douche bag ex-boyfriend and showed the world how easily she could get over their relationship. He just wanted to punch Jesse's face in.

Jesse had hurt Rachel. A lot. Why the hell did Jesse deserve Rachel? He couldn't possibly understand. But then again, he realized, he didn't have much room to talk. He had hurt Rachel too. He thought about the words that Rachel had yelled at him. Did he really just stand by as Rachel was showered with insults by the glee club? Did she really have nobody to take care of her?

She was such a strong girl as he remembered. She never cared about what anybody had to say, and she had this own little flair that nobody could replicate. Why was she playing the card that she had to take care of herself? And why was she enlisting the help of Jesse freaking St. James? _She's probably going to sleep with him or something, complete the full circle_. Jesse felt horrified by his own thoughts. Deep inside him, he knew that Rachel would never do that. He wanted to believe that. _Why didn't I forgive her on Christmas? _It's too late. Jesse had already taken over. What was he going to do?

Finn knew he was a lot of things, but he knew that he wasn't crazy. So why was he back in his car, going in the direction of Rachel's house?


	5. Chapter 5

The truth was, Finn did not know what the hell he was doing. He had already pulled over and gotten out of the car and slowly walked towards Rachel's front door without any rational thinking going through his head. Right when he took his last step before he got to the door, the adrenaline rush and the spur-of-the-moment impulsive decision faded, and his stomach started turning. _Shit. What am I doing here again? _Finn thought, mentally kicking himself for letting him walk this far. He looked at the Berry driveway. Rachel's silver Honda Civic was parked there, but neither Hiram nor Leroy's cars were. That gave him a little comfort, knowing that the two dads couldn't possibly answer the door.

He lifted his fist up to knock on the door, but then he froze right at that moment, and took a deep breath to attempt knocking again. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Before he could even try again, the door opened by itself. _Crap! _Finn mentally screamed, as the door slowly opened.

* * *

*Rewind, 10 minutes ago.*

Rachel Berry sat in the kitchen, having finished eating part of her vegan crock-pot lasagna. She somewhat knew how to cook. After all, she had to sustain herself sometimes considering her dads weren't home a lot. For the most part, Rachel was a strong, independent young woman. Well, at least, that's what she often tried to tell herself. Slowly, she was proving herself more.

She showed the Glee club today that she didn't _need _Finn. She wasn't going to be some lovesick girl who couldn't get the point across that a guy didn't feel the same way about her that she did about him. She, Rachel Barbara Berry, was going to get over it.

Of course, there were some challenges to that. The fact that she saw him every school day didn't help her clothes. The way he always had that cute smile, how he stood up straight all the time, his awkwardness, and the way he always looked like some sort of lost dog. _Ugh. Why am I even thinking about him_, Rachel thought, mentally scolding herself.

She knew what everyone thought of her. She knew that she was snobby, arrogant, overbearing, obnoxious and annoying. It worked so much better when she knew that someone still loved her despite all that. Now, it was different.

Of course, there was the reappearance of Jesse. She couldn't lie, he was looking better than ever. She was always fond of his uncanny charm. But he wasn't Finn. Sure, she did forgive him for the egging incident when she realized that she needed a friend. But the truth was, he wasn't the one she wanted to fight for. It was Finn.

The only problem was, Finn didn't want to be fought for and he made that extremely clear to Rachel. She decided to follow his wishes and it was working out pretty decently. At least, that's what she told herself.

Rachel sighed and picked up the trash bag from the kitchen, put on her coat, and walked to the front door to take the trash outside.

When she opened the door, a tall figure suddenly appeared right in front of her, and naturally, her first reaction was to scream her lungs out, thinking it was a burglar. Only when she looked up to see his face did she realize that it was familiar. Finn Hudson was standing on her doorstep.

"Um, hi, Rachel," he said awkwardly, looking around the doorframe, trying to meet his eyes with everything but hers.

"Finn. Oh my gosh, you scared me. I thought you were… a burglar," she said, then let out a laugh when she realized how stupid that sounded. There was, of course, an ADT sign on her front yard. And what kind of burglar would use the front door with a car parked in the driveway? Finn smiled a little bit when he heard her laugh. He hadn't heard that in a long time. "So do you need anything?"

"I, um," Finn started, trying to figure out what exactly to say. "I just wanted to ask how you were, and your plans for the holiday and everything. As a friend, you know."

"Oh." Rachel said, trying to figure out what to make of the situation. Maybe this was a profound apology, a romantic profession of undying love to her. It didn't start out like one, but her hopes hadn't been extinguished just yet. "Umm. Well, I'm fine, actually. Not bawling my eyes out, contrary to popular belief. And, I'm staying here in Lima, same old."

Finn realized after 2 seconds of an awkward pause, that he actually had to say something back. It was weird how he was asking all the questions now. He was used to Rachel chattering away and him just smiling and nodding. He realized now that he probably took all those times for granted. "Well, uh, I wanted to see if you wanted to have New Year's dinner with us, I'm sure Kurt would love it." Finn said, without thinking. He didn't even know if they were actually having New Year's dinner, and if there was space for one more. He assumed yes to both, which was fairly reasonable, but he didn't go through this thought process until he finished the sentence.

Rachel smiled at first, but then her face turned into an apologetic look. "Well, actually, Jesse asked me earlier if I wanted to spend New Year's Eve with him. His parents are away on a business affair, and I really don't want him to spend it alone at home. All of his other Vocal Adrenaline friends are somewhere else and he just wants at least one person to be of company," she said, without taking a breath.

_I remember when I used to be the one she rambled on about… _Finn thought, as his shoulders slumped with disappointment. "Oh. Um, okay. I guess I'll go now, then." He said, starting to turn around as Rachel bit her lip and nodded. Suddenly, Finn turned back to Rachel. "He doesn't deserve a second chance with you, Rachel." Finn didn't exactly know where that came from. He half-regretted saying it, but he knew that it really was what he thought.

For about one second, Rachel was angry that Finn was deciding who was good enough for her. After all, he wasn't one to talk. Quickly, however, it turned into feelings of sadness and hurt. It was like Finn didn't want her back, but at the same time, he didn't want her with anyone else. Like he just wanted Rachel to be alone. "Finn, there comes a point when you can't pick and choose who's willing to be there for you," she said, and then softly shut the door on him.

She walked up the stairs sadly, and got to her room and shut the door. Ironically, she left her iPod on the iHome, and in the background it was softly projecting the voice of Olivia Newton John.

_Guess mine is not the first heart broken,  
my eyes are not the first to cry I'm not the first to know,  
there's just no gettin' over you  
Hello, I'm just a fool who's willing to sit around  
and wait for you  
But baby can't you see, there's nothin' else  
for me to do I'm hopelessly devoted to you  
But now there's nowhere to hide,  
since you pushed my love aside I'm not in my head,  
hopelessly devoted to you  
Hopelessly devoted to you._

__Finn walked back to his car, overwhelmed with the feeling of defeat. He couldn't forget the look of despair on her face. She was Rachel Berry. Nobody was good enough for her, and she shouldn't sit around just waiting for the first person to pick her up. She didn't need some knight in shining armor, she needed a prince with a golden carriage. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't really say anything without sounding hypocritical.

He sat in his car for what seemed like the longest time. He put his head in his hands and uncontrollably started crying. Why was he feeling like this? He hated her. He hated what she did to him. She had no idea how that felt, having the only two girls that were his taken away by his own best friend. Not even forcefully. Both were willing. He didn't cry over Quinn this hard, because he thought Rachel was _it_. She was the one who healed all the wounds that the Quinn and Puck incident had inflicted, but then she reopened them and they hurt even more than ever. He shouldn't care about her anymore. He was one of the most popular guys in school, and he had so much going for him. Why was this one girl affecting all of it?

After he managed to catch his breath, he cleaned himself up, turned on the car and drove off.

For the full five minutes he had been sitting there, however, Rachel had watched him through the blinds of her bedroom window.


	6. Chapter 6

It was about 11:30, and Finn had left the Hudson-Hummel residence to look for a high school party. He just needed to forget about everything that was happening. It sounded crazy, but for once, Finn wanted to get hammered to where he wouldn't know what was going on in his life anymore. Luckily, Puck was having a party with his house and Puck always knew how to get liquor.

Finn entered Puck's house and there were already a lot of people. In the garage, there was a beer pong game going on. In Puck's already-trashed living room, there were about 10 couples making out… well, some were doing more than making out, and Finn didn't even want to know what was going on upstairs. He grabbed himself a can in the kitchen, when he felt a girl's hand stroke his back.

He turned around to see Santana. "Hey there, sexy," she said with her sly smile.

_Hmm, I wonder how many virginities she's taken tonight_, Finn thought. "Oh, hey Santana," he said in a monotone voice. He really didn't feel like seeing her right now. Or ever. After all, most of the mess he was in was partially her fault.

"So, want to go for round two upstairs?" She asked, sliding her hand down dangerously close to his crotch. Finn picked up her hand and took it off of his body, while shaking his head.

"Not now, not ever. Round one was one of the biggest mistakes of my life, not gonna lie," he said. "Even if I were completely wasted, I don't want you to even touch me." Santana rolled her eyes.

"We'll see about that," she said smugly and walked away. Finn groaned. He didn't want to get himself into anymore trouble than he already was in. Of course, it didn't help that he was in Santana's natural habitat: a high school party. He took a drink, and then a few more. _Happy new year, Finn_, he said to himself. This was the worst start to a year, ever.

Rachel and Jesse were sitting on the couch, complete with a bowl of popcorn in between them. They were laughing and smiling, watching Rent.

"I can't wait to live in New York," Rachel said, as they watched _Take Me or Leave Me_. "Then I wouldn't have to deal with everyone being absolutely horrible to me."

"That's because they don't know how amazing you're going to be, Rach," Jesse said. Rachel winced at the last word. Of course, reminders of Finn were going to be everywhere no matter how hard she tried to remove it.

"I've been thinking… and, I've decided that I just don't want to do Glee club anymore," Rachel confessed, in which Jesse responded with a dropped jaw. He knew that they were all mean and talentless in there, but he also thought that Glee was the one thing that Rachel could say was hers.

"Rachel, isn't that a little rash? I mean, I know that they're nowhere near Vocal Adrenaline talent-wise, but they kind of need you. And it's what makes you happy," he reasoned out. If he were still in Vocal Adrenaline, he would've supported this decision one hundred percent, just so New Directions would be screwed. But now, it was completely different.

"It _was _what made me happy. Not anymore. Not when I have to see Finn's face everyday, or listen to Santana and Quinn torment me. If they needed me, they wouldn't have treated me so badly anyway," Rachel said sadly, with a look of defeat on her face. "I'm just tired of having to be against the whole world every single day. It gets kind of old. Besides, it's not like any of them would genuinely care if I left anyway."

"Finn would," Jesse argued, to which Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No, Finn wants a girlfriend who follows him around and does everything for him," Rachel said, surprised at how mean she was being. "I didn't mean that… I meant that Finn liked the idea of having someone like me. Not actually me."

Coincidentally, Rachel's cellphone vibrated in her pocket, so she took it out and flipped it open to read the message.

_I lovejteihg youdfs._

_- Finn_

Although Rachel was somewhat touched by the sweet and sentimental message, from the obvious typos, she knew it was a drunk text message. She didn't entirely know how to respond to it. If it were a sincere text, in a heartbeat, she would've said 'I love you' back. But unfortunately, she knew that Finn was probably at some high school party, drunk out of his mind, with Santana somewhere in the equation. She decided to just close up her phone and ignore the text message.

Jesse knew something was going on from the look on Rachel's face. "Finn text you?" he asked curiously.

"I don't think it should count as Finn if he probably doesn't even know how to tie his shoes right now," Rachel replied.

"Wait… he knew how to tie his shoes in the first place?" Jesse joked, causing Rachel to smile slightly. She had gotten used to Jesse's comments at Finn by now. After all, she didn't need to defend him anymore, and Jesse was actually treating her much nicer.

"Thank you, Jesse," she said simply.

"For what?" he asked, surprised at the random gratitude.

"For not letting me spend another celebration alone. And for sticking up for me in the parking lot. It's kind of been awhile since anyone's ever done that," she said with the melancholic tone again.

Jesse hated seeing Rachel so sad. Especially due to the fact that he still had, even just slightly, feelings for her. _What's a guy to do… Sorry, Finn_, he thought, and leaned in to kiss Rachel.

For about two seconds, Rachel returned it, until she felt a sick feeling in her stomach. "This isn't right," she said after quickly pulling away. "I'm sorry, Jesse. I mean, I know Finn hurt me and everything, but there's still something in me that thinks there's a chance between me and him. And, it kind of broke my heart even more having to say no to spending New Year's Eve with him."

"It's all good, Rachel," he shrugged. He was Jesse St. James. Even though he wasn't as cocky as he used to be, his ego was still indestructible. He just decided to be a little more subtle about it. "Besides, you didn't have to be here with me. I'm used to being alone, it happens with being too good for everyone else." He laughed, and winked. "So what are you still doing here? Find Finn. Tell him how you feel."

"I, I can't," Rachel stuttered after gulping. "He never even apologized to me. How do I know we're not just going to hurt each other again? I've apologized about a thousand times and he never accepted any of them. I don't want to be the girl he just expects to be there all the time. He's probably making out with Santana as we speak anyway. I mean, I should stop caring already. What is wrong with me?" A smile formed on Jesse's lips. "Wow, I'm rambling about him, aren't I?" she blushed.

_I'm swerorry._

_- Finn_

Rachel rolled her eyes again. One sober text message, and maybe she'd consider. Just one would send her speeding over to wherever he was. Probably Noah Puckerman's party, considering his house was always the place to be during big celebrations. She didn't even want to know what was going on there.

"Rachel. You know you want to. Go find him. You can take my car," he said, tossing Rachel the keys to his Range Rover.

She stood still for awhile before sighing, nodding her head and grabbing her coat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, thanks so much for all the feedback. I'm glad to know you like the story so far, I always get really excited about updating it. (:**

It was 12:45, and Rachel was speeding through the streets of Lima. She had all these worst-case scenarios going through her mind. What if she was too late? What if he was already making out with Santana? Or worse? Her heart broke at the thought of her not being Finn's New Year's kiss. She also knew that there was no way Finn wasn't going to have a kiss, considering all of the drunk girls in attendance usually at Puck's house. She stepped on the gas pedal again, going at about 40 miles an hour in a residential area. Usually, Rachel wasn't a rule-breaker, but this was an obvious exception.

Finn Hudson just took the last drink of his eighth can of beer. He hadn't passed out yet, but he was definitely on his way there. However, he was still conscious enough to know that Santana had her eyes on him all night, waiting until he was too drunk to function or even control her.

He looked up at the time. It was 12:50 and he really didn't want to stay there for the countdown and the kiss. The party atmosphere and the alcohol took the hurt away from his heart for a little bit, but he knew that he wanted to stay out of anything that would cause drama the next morning.

Unfortunately, Finn didn't exactly have an escape route. He wasn't a good driver in the first place (considering the fact that he once ran over a mailman), so he knew probably wouldn't make it home after eight beers. Finn headed out to Puck's porch, in need of some fresh air. Some teenagers were sitting on the porch swing smoking pot, probably unaware that the New Year was coming soon and probably not caring. Finn pulled out his cellphone, and stared at the wallpaper for awhile. It was a picture of him and Rachel at Regionals last year, the same one that Rachel had printed out and in a picture frame. He always thought it was such a good picture of both of them and they looked so happy. He wanted to text Rachel again, but so far, he hadn't gotten any replies. While it was disappointing, he kind of expected it.

"There's no use dwelling over that dwarf," Santana said, wrapping her arms around Finn's torso. Quickly, he got up after the immense feeling of discomfort caused by her.

"Please, Santana, will you just leave me alone?" Finn groaned, backing away from Santana like she had some sort of infectious disease. "Do you not get the point?"

"I'll make you a deal," she smirked, and placed her finger on his chest. "I'll leave you alone if you make out with me. Well, I doubt you'll want me to after we make out. After all, I'm sure you have no idea what good kissing's like."

Finn shook his head. He wasn't going to risk what little chance he had with Rachel over some stupid, drunk kiss. "Look, Santana, I really don't want anything to do with you, okay?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Finn, just fucking kiss me!" she yelled, and pressed herself against him, forcing her lips on his for about two seconds.

"Santana! Get off me!" he yelled, and stepped away from her.

A smile formed on Santana's lips. "You know you liked it," she said, and looked at a girl standing on the sidewalk. It was none other than Rachel Berry, with a confused and hurt look on her face. Finn was shocked to see her there, but Santana wasted no time in torturing her. At least he knew it really was Rachel and he wasn't hallucinating, considering Santana saw her too.

"Hi loser, nice of you to join us," Santana said, getting up in Rachel's personal space. "Actually, never mind. Nobody wants you here. In case you don't understand, this is what I mean." Santana raised up her red cup and doused Rachel with the beer that remained in it.

Naturally, anger filled Finn, but so did a feeling of protectiveness and impulse. "Rach," he started to say, rushing over to her.

Rachel looked up after gazing at her clothes drenched in cold beer. "Wow, I really don't need this," Rachel said, turned around, and started to walk back to the car. Finn wondered why she didn't take her car. Was Jesse waiting for her in his car? He looked at the oversized grey Vocal Adrenaline sweatshirt she was wearing and felt instant jealousy. At the same time, confusion took over him. If she was wearing Jesse's shirt, and there was something going on with them, why was she standing there? And what did she really not need?

"Rachel, please," Finn pleaded, trying to catch up with her. It didn't help that he couldn't really walk straight. But surprisingly, Rachel turned around and met her eyes with his, and then took a few steps closer to him. "Why'd you come here, Rachel?"

"Finn, I don't think it matters if I tell you anything right now, you're probably not going to remember it tomorrow morning," Rachel said wistfully, looking on the ground.

He was somewhat insulted by the comment, but then he realized that maybe after a few beers, he probably wouldn't even remember anything about the night at all. Right then, he wished that he had never even driven himself there and taken his first drink. He probably would've looked a lot better to Rachel right now. "Try me," he said. "I'll tell you exactly every single word you tell me tonight."

Rachel sighed. She tried to hide a smile from the cuteness of Finn's challenge he created for himself. _Well, here goes nothing… _she thought. "I came here with the idea that maybe there was still a chance between us. But actually, I think seeing you here tonight kind of confirmed how different our worlds are and how I probably don't belong anywhere in your life aside from being the loser you look down on." She played with the strings of her hoodie while still looking down on the ground, and then she finally looked up at Finn, who had a hurt look on his face."I thought that was what made us special… us being so different from the rest of the world," Finn said, displaying some confidence in his own words.

Rachel smiled slightly at his words, but then shrugged. "We were just living in this dream, Finn," she replied with a tone of defeat. "If we go back to the way we were, we're just going to hurt each other again, and I don't want that for you."

A million thoughts were running through Finn's mind, but he just wanted a few of his questions answered. "Then why did you come here? Was it just to tell me something I already know: that you don't love me anymore and rub it in my face that you've moved on so easily?" he asked.

Rachel shook her head vigorously, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't love you anymore? Is that really what you think, Finn?" Rachel paused, to take a deep breath. "I still do, Finn. But what do you expect me to do? After you rejected all of my attempts at an apology, I had no choice but to move on, Finn, and it is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You have no idea. I can't forget my problems with a bunch of drinks because I'm so deeply in love with you."

Finn was, to say the least, stunned at the confession, and he was speechless for awhile, before recollecting his thoughts. "Then why can't we have another chance?"

Rachel let out a soft laugh. "You know, it's funny. When we broke up, that's all I wanted," she replied. "But the thing is, we can't just put the pieces back together and pick up where we left off. Not when you don't feel the same way about me."

From Puck's house, noises erupted with voices counting down together. "5!… 4!… 3!… 2!…1!" Finn pulled Rachel into his arms, picked her up, and planted a long kiss on her lips, while both of them had tears rolling down their faces.


	8. Chapter 8

The kiss lasted well after the celebrations of the New Year. Rachel and Finn's arms were tangled up in each other's, and after their lips had parted, they shared a long embrace. Finn pulled away to look at Rachel, whose eyes were still producing tears. She looked down the second his eyes met with hers.

"I, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Finn stammered, backing away.

A hurt look formed on Rachel's face, and Finn felt a pang in his chest. He didn't mean to hurt her, he was just scared of the whole commitment concept all over again. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking up. Her voice rose and her eyes started to well up even more, and she paused for awhile. "I, I can't believe you're doing this to me again, Finn." Her lips were quivering and she just wanted to run out.

Finn bit his lip. "Don't play that victim card with me, Rachel," he said softly. "I should get back with you because I'm comfortable with you. Not out of desperation from the both of us… desperation's a word, right?"

Rachel would've smiled and nodded if she weren't so hurt by the first statement. It was like he thought she was just trying to coax him back, instead of actually wanting him back because she loved him. Did he not hear anything she said before the kiss? She sighed, and declared defeat. She didn't want to go through it anymore. "You know what? You're right. You need space. Can I just please ask you to do something for me?" Finn nodded silently. "Please, please stop leading me on. I don't know how long I can handle it. You don't want to be with me, yet you don't want me to be with anyone else. We're either together or we should both let each other go." Rachel turned around, and walked slowly to the Range Rover, wiping her face with her oversized sweatshirt.

A million different thoughts were swirling around Finn's mind, and he didn't know how to make sense of any of it. He loved Rachel. He was reminded of that love when his natural impulse was to kiss her. But at the same time, he knew she hurt him and that they needed to find a way to clear both of their minds. How was he supposed to clear his mind, when he couldn't get her out of there? He knew, right when she walked away, that he had made a mistake. How many more chances was he going to get with her? Unfortunately, he realized that he couldn't go running after her because that was the perfect exhibit of what she told him not to do. He had to give her time, just like what she had done for him.

* * *

Rachel sped back to Jesse's house and found his door unlocked. He was waiting beside the kitchen counter, and walked up to her right when she stepped into the house. "Hey, how'd it go?" he asked with a hopeful tone. He knew it had gone awry when Rachel broke down in tears, and he embraced her while she buried her face in his shoulder. Maybe it was time for Rachel to move on, for the best.

After a few more minutes of sobbing, Jesse and Rachel sat down on the couch and she explained to him the whole story: Santana trying to kiss Finn, their confrontation, their kiss, and another confrontation. "I just don't know what to do anymore. When I was driving there, I was so sure that it was the right thing to do and that everything would be okay if I tried it one more time. But when I saw him there, in a world that I knew I had no place in, I just couldn't help but feel that this time, we're done for good," she said with resignation. She scooted closer to Jesse, and naturally he put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," he said, and pulled her in closer. "Maybe you need a break from Finn for awhile. You know, switch things up a bit. Give some other guys a chance."

Rachel let out a small laugh. "Jesse, I don't think we're going to work out as a couple," she replied lightheartedly.

"I didn't mean me. I may be conceited but there are moments when I'm not referring to myself in a conversation," Jesse laughed. "Although we would make the most talented couple Broadway's ever seen, I know a few guys who would decently match up."

* * *

School had resumed the Monday after New Year, and Finn didn't know what to make of that day. Sure, the past few days had been rocky, but he hoped that somewhere there was stable ground. Maybe the football field, or something like that. For some reason, he liked the routine that school created. It gave him a sense of normalcy no matter how much chaos ensued around him.

People had started treating him a little better now that he had severed ties with Rachel and he was still the starting quarterback. It was bittersweet to him. Now that he was popular, he felt alone again, no matter how many people greeted him and gave him high-fives down the hallway. He walked up to his locker, which was about 20 feet from Rachel's. Hers was on the other side of the hall, so if he wanted to sneak a glance, he would actually have to turn around. He hadn't seen her or heard from her since the whole New Year's Eve incident, and he didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. He wondered if he was still even in her phone or something. He managed to spare a glance when Artie was talking to him. She looked beautiful, as always. She wore a white ruffle top and a plum-colored pencil skirt, with black ballet flats. She radiated a certain gracefulness and class, like she was so well-put together inside. Her brown hair was in its natural wave, and her bangs were pulled back with a white headband. Mercedes had passed by her and greeted her, while she smiled back. Finn didn't entirely know when they came to friendly terms, but he was glad that within the millisecond that he got to see her, she looked happy. He knew that was what she needed and it was one step closer to where they wanted to be. Well, where he wanted to be, at least.

Right after school, the group had met back in Glee's rehearsal room. The group practiced a rendition of We Built This City, a number that Mr. Schuester probably wouldn't make use of. Rachel participated in the singing, but she didn't take any solos. Instead, Santana and Artie took the leads and she mindlessly harmonized in the background. Glee rehearsal was almost done, and Finn and Rachel hadn't said a word to each other. The rest of the Glee club had noticed the discrepancy, but they didn't want to interfere with it considering they enjoyed Rachel's silence. Mr. Schuester dismissed them, and they all filed out of the room. After exiting the room, Finn noticed that Rachel had gone the opposite way of the parking lot. After waiting for her to go farther, he trailed after her trying to be as stealthy as he could.

He watched her go into the auditorium and walk up the steps to the stage. He saw a familiar male figure sitting on the piano bench. Jesse had been waiting there. The sight of him automatically made Finn mad. He was able to suppress himself from another confrontation because he wanted to see what exactly they were doing. _Hmm, maybe this is some sort of ploy to destroy Glee club_, Finn thought. He knew Rachel would never do that, but then again, he also thought he knew Rachel would never forgive Jesse.

Jesse started playing the piano while Rachel walked up to center stage. Finn smiled at the sight. First of all, it meant that maybe Rachel was just singing by herself, and he wouldn't have to watch a duet between her and Jesse. Second, it was Rachel's natural habitat. He remembered when she had come down with laryngitis, and she stated dramatically, "I'm like Tinkerbell. I need applause to live!" He found himself thinking of all her dramatic moments, but he refocused himself on the impromptu performance once she started singing. After all, it was impossible to pay attention to anything else when she sang.

_As high as the moon  
So high were my spirits  
When you sang out my name_

And coming from you  
It was enough just to hear it  
Woah, it rang like the bells did today

But even the sturdiest ground  
Can shift and can tremble and let us fall down

Kindly unspoken  
You show your emotion  
And silence speaks louder than words  
It's lucky I'm clever  
If I didn't know better  
I'd believe only that which I'd heard

In the days of my folly  
I followed your lead  
I did what Simon Said to do

But I won't let melancholy  
Play me for a fool  
Oh, no I'm on my way somewhere new

And as far as your lack of something to say  
Well, to tell me goodbye there was no better way

Kindly unspoken  
You show your emotion  
And silence speaks louder than words  
It's lucky I'm clever  
If I didn't know better  
I'd believe only that which I'd heard

So don't keep me up till the dawn  
With words that'll keep leading me on  
I know much better than to wait for an answer from you

Kindly unspoken  
You show your emotion  
And silence speaks louder than words  
It's lucky I'm clever  
If I didn't know better  
I'd believe only that which I'd heard

Finn found tears welling up in his eyes after the first 20 seconds of the performance, but he tried his hardest to remain quiet. Even when he watched Rachel finish her song and Jesse sweep her into his embrace and kiss her on the forehead.

He couldn't keep up with this any longer.

**Hey guys, thanks so much for the reviews! I know some of you expected rainbows and butterflies and compromise for Finchel, but that didn't happen. Sorry!**

**The song in this chapter is Kindly Unspoken by Kate Voegele. I highly suggest you listen to it, because you'll understand the power & emotion of the song a lot better.**

**And thanks Skittles713 for pointing out the discrepancy in the 12:45 thing. It was, in fact, supposed to be 11:45 as was 12:50 to 11:50.**

**But I hope you guys like this chapter (: I just decided to milk out the angst a little bit more.**


	9. Chapter 9

As Rachel buried herself in Jesse's embrace, she watched Finn walk out of the auditorium from the corner of her eye. She had noticed him watching awhile ago, but chose not to acknowledge him. The words she sang were the things she didn't have the guts to say to him in person. Of course, she had a few more things to say, but she wasn't ready. Not now. She did have to admit, though, every time she looked at Finn, she missed him even more. She could tell the obvious sadness on his face, the way he had to force a smile just to tell the rest of the world that he was okay. She always admired that about him. Despite his frequent breakdowns, he always appeared to get back up and shake it off. He didn't show his despair most of the time, because he knew that people always counted on him to be the one who listened to problems and never talked.

Rachel thought about the times when she would constantly ramble on about things in her life, and he would always listen, no matter how boring he thought the topic was. He had that warm personality and always looked on the positive side of things. She remembered the way he would compliment her randomly right in the middle of the conversation, and she would always smile. Rachel couldn't help but wonder if she would ever get that back. Even though he didn't defend her much when she got verbally assaulted, she had to admit that for the most part, Finn was a good boyfriend. And he tried. _I wish I could say the same for me as a girlfriend_, Rachel thought. Over the past few days, she had realized all of the mistakes that she had made, and if maybe, she had lessened on those, he would have forgiven her a little more easily. _He needs time. So do I._

"Are you ready to go?" Jesse asked, interrupting her little mental analysis of the situation. Jesse was due back in a week, and as a good friend, he spent most of the day with Rachel, driving her around, listening to her talk about her day, and helping her practice for Regionals.

"I'm going to get a solo for Regionals, and colleges are going to come flocking to me, begging me to consider their theatre programs," Rachel had said the other day. Of course, Jesse had been down that road before, so he offered his expertise. He beamed at the fact that Rachel was no longer considering quitting the glee club. It turns out, all she needed was some constant support from a few friends. She talked it over with Kurt as well, and both him and Jesse agreed that it would be the stupidest thing Rachel could ever do. She decided that she might as well start her road to Broadway now. Jesse had asked her to consider UCLA and although she laughed, she thought about it for awhile. After all, it would be nice to have at least one person around looking out for you.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Rachel said, forcing a small smile as she grabbed her bag from on top of the piano.

"Good, cause I told one of my Carmel friends we were meeting up with him today. Well, mainly for your purposes," Jesse explained, trying to casually run it by her.

"Jesse!" she scolded him. In no way was she ready for this. "I look like crap at the end of every school day. You should've at least given me some sort of a heads up."

"Rachel," he interrupted, before she started rambling on again. He was reminded the past couple of days that it was an uncanny habit of hers. "You look beautiful. I'm glad I get to say that without anyone punching me in the face." Rachel smiled and gave in.

* * *

Rachel and Jesse arrived at Breadstix after 15 minutes, Rachel's heart pounding out of nervousness. _Hopefully, he's extremely attractive, like Jesse… or Finn_, she thought, then scolded herself for the use of the F word. She was trying extremely hard not to think about him anymore. She knew it was impossible. Every time their eyes met in the hallway, she imagined him walking up to her and apologizing for everything. Unfortunately, so far, that hasn't happened and her hope was decreasing greatly.

The waitress led them to the table where Jesse's friend was sitting, and Rachel saw Jesse's friend sitting on one side of the booth. She smiled at him and he returned the favor, showing off his dimples and his perfect teeth. He had green eyes and light brown hair, and his skin had somewhat of an olive complexion.

"Rachel, meet Austin," Jesse said, gesturing to the other boy, who stood up to shake Rachel's hand.

"It's nice to meet you," Austin smiled. "Jesse talks a lot about you, but there's no way he could've prepared me for how pretty you actually looked." He dressed nicely, Rachel had to admit, and she wondered if it was an everyday thing or if it was just for that particular event. He wore khaki pants, Sperry boat shoes, and a dark blue button-up shirt. He was about 6 foot, which towered over Jesse, but he wasn't quite as tall as Finn. She realized she should probably stop comparing guys to her two exes.

"Well, thank you," Rachel smiled. "Jesse kind of dropped the bomb on me a few minutes ago, but I'm glad he did."

The three of them sat down and ordered pasta dishes, while conversing.

"Well, it's been nice, guys, but I gotta head out," Jesse said, standing up and winking at Rachel. A look of panic showed up on Rachel's face. She didn't want to go through it alone, and she was already starting to feel a little bit comfortable with Jesse breaking the ice.

"J-Jesse, how am I supposed to get home?" she said, looking for an excuse for Jesse to stay.

"I can drive you home," Austin offered. Jesse smiled, and with that, he grabbed his coat and walked out of the restaurant, and there was an awkward silence for a little bit.

"So are you into anything like Jesse is?" Rachel asked, starting out the conversation again. This time, it went on much longer.

Unfortunately, she found out that Austin wasn't musically involved in any aspect in Carmel. She wondered how Austin and Jesse became friends, considering there wasn't much in common between them. Later, she found at that their parents had been friends for a long time, and they practically grew up together. Rachel had come to also find out that Austin was rich. Really rich. Austin's dad owned a successful car dealership, and his mom was an anesthesiologist. Obviously, they were a success-driven family, which meant that it had somewhat of an effect on Austin. While he made straight A's at Carmel's rigorous curriculum, he was a ruthless striker and team captain on the Carmel Sharks hockey team.

"I can't believe you're on the hockey team, you're the exact opposite of the hockey guys at McKinley," Rachel commented. "I mean, there's this absolute asshole named Dave Karofsky, and I can't stand him at all."

"Karofsky, the defenseman?" Austin asked, and Rachel nodded. A smile formed on his lips. "I dominated that guy all season last year, he couldn't touch me and when he did, it was always a penalty. Kind of figured that he was a dirty player in real life too."

"Yup. He actually drove one of my best friends away to an all-boys school cause he loved to shove him around and comment on his sexual orientation," Rachel explained, showing that she wasn't the only one in school who couldn't stand Karofsky at all.

"We play McKinley on Thursday, actually," Austin said, and Rachel's eyes lit up, hoping for an invitation to come watch him. "My younger sister owns a shirt that could fit you and I want you on the front row. Maybe watch me get by Karofsky without even breaking a sweat."

"I would probably get murdered at school for wearing the enemy's shirt," Rachel laughed, politely declining the t-shirt offer. After all, she was hoping for a few more friends, not for the whole school to hate her.

"Tell them you're supporting your new boyfriend," Austin said coyly, and Rachel's smile got bigger.

"I may be an extremely talented actor, but I'm not a liar," Rachel reasoned out, in the way that she was hoping for him to give a few more positive signals like he was already doing.

"You're not lying, you're just talking in future tense," Austin replied confidently, which practically made Rachel's heart skip a beat. She smiled and nodded. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her.

* * *

It was Thursday morning, and Finn walked into the halls of McKinley High School. He still wasn't over the whole Rachel thing, but he was getting a little better. It helped that, like Rachel said, he had his popularity to fall back into. Their football team actually had a winning record, and Finn was the starting quarterback of that very team. Football season ended with their loss in the second round of the playoffs, and basketball and hockey season had commenced. Finn was kind of glad that it meant he didn't have to deal with Karofsky and Azimio anymore, considering they were on another team now. Puck played hockey too, so Finn had to somewhat support his best friend's team. He had committed to watching their game, considering he and Puck were on good terms now. For some reason, their friendship was like titanium. They always managed to forgive each other at the end of the week. Finn wished he could say the same about his and Rachel's relationship.

He looked for her down the hallway again, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Rachel was wearing jeans, something that she never did, and a royal blue t-shirt. He automatically recognized it as Carmel High blue, considering there was a shark on the back of the shirt. Unfortunately, Karofsky had noticed it too.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Karofsky yelled, getting up in Rachel's personal space. "In case you didn't notice, dwarf, you go to McKinley, not the fairy school Carmel." He didn't engage in any physical contact with her after that, and he walked away. Automatically, Finn walked over to her, checking to see if she was traumatized by the confrontation or anything.

"Rachel, are you okay? And, honestly, what are you actually doing wearing that shirt to school? I know it's Jesse's school, but you never wear t-shirts, nor does Jesse play hockey," he said.

Rachel looked up with surprisingly, a smile. "I'm fine, Finn, thank you for asking," she said. "Actually, it doesn't bother me one bit. I know Dave's going to be humiliated tonight, considering Carmel actually has a good hockey team. I'm going to watch the game."

Finn was still slightly confused, trying to put the pieces together. But obviously, something was missing. "Since when were you interested in sports? I mean, football and basketball, I understood, because I was playing them, but hockey? You could show Puck a little support by wearing a McKinley shirt, you know?"

"I already explained it to Noah. As a matter of fact, my b-, I mean, good friend, plays on the Carmel hockey team, and Dave is no match for him," Rachel explained to a still-confused Finn.

He didn't get it. Who was this guy who Rachel knew? As far as he remembered, Rachel didn't have any friends at Carmel besides Jesse, considering the whole VA team egged her. He chose, however, not to ask anymore questions. Well, except that last one. "Oh, cool. Well, I was going to go to the hockey game too, for Puck. Maybe we could meet there and sit beside each other, you know," Finn offered, knowing fully that Rachel would probably say no.

To his delightful surprise, that didn't happen. "That would be nice," she said, and Finn smiled his lopsided smile. This was a start. Sure, it wasn't the best opportunity in the world, but it was nonetheless an opportunity to sit down and talk with Rachel, just being friends.


	10. Chapter 10

The Baldwin Rink in downtown Lima was halfway packed, but everyone was scattered throughout. One half was filled with Carmel High fans. They had active fan bases for everything, and the parents and other students were there. On the other side of the rink were McKinley fans. There were more of them, but most of them didn't look too enthused. McKinley High School wasn't exactly the best in school spirit.

Rachel had met Finn at the entrance as promised, and they decided to sit at a neutral site, where the McKinley fans had split from the Carmel fans so that nobody would throw anything at Rachel. This was mainly Finn's idea, considering he still had that protective attitude towards Rachel.

The Carmel High Sharks took the rink and skated around for around. Automatically, Finn noticed that one of their players had been keeping eye contact with Rachel every once in awhile during warm-ups, and even waved at her, which she returned. Instantly, Finn felt the jealously seep in. "Is that the friend you were talking about?"

Rachel nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable once she felt the obvious tension. "Yeah, his name's Austin. I just met him a few days ago, actually."

"And now you're already his number one fan?" Finn asked, trying to hide his jealousy the best he could. He recognized the guy, considering he played wide receiver for the Sharks football team. He was an above average guy at the position, and Finn was secretly hoping that he was below average at hockey.

"I'm just here as his friend, Finn," Rachel said softly, trying not to offend him. "I think you two would make good friends, actually. He's really athletic. Even though he doesn't have any musical talents, he's not a boneheaded jock or anything."

_No, I don't want to be his friend. I don't even want him to be your friend_, Finn thought. Of course, he wouldn't say it to Rachel, considering it was completely rude. "Do I have musical talents?" he asked.

"Of course, Finn, what kind of question is that?" she smiled, and he smiled back. He found comfort in the fact that he had something that the new guy didn't.

The game had started, and Rachel was right about Austin, to Finn's dismay. The guy really did make Karofsky look stupid with his speed and agility. About 6 minutes into the game, Austin had scored his first goal, getting through the defenders and the goalie easily. Instead of celebrating with the two other wings first, he took the time to smile at Rachel, who applauded and exclaimed, "Go Austin!"

Finn couldn't help but ask her what he had been wondering the whole time. "So are you two like, dating or something?"

Rachel looked at him like he was crazy. "No, Finn, I only met him on Monday. I'm not going to rush into anything, especially with all this drama I have now," she explained to him, in an irritated tone.

"I don't know whether to believe you or not. The last time you said that, you kinda lied to me," Finn retorted.

"It didn't seem to bother you too much," Rachel spat back. "Finn, I'm trying to be happy. Why can't you let me do that?"

Finn clenched his jaw, trying to find some sort of intelligent way of answering that. He definitely didn't have a way with words, and that proved to be a disadvantage to him right now. "Because, Rachel, a new relationship isn't just going to make you happy. It doesn't work like that."

"Well, a non-existent one isn't going to either," Rachel pointed out, infuriated. "Finn, I didn't come here with you just so you could yell at me. I wanted to maybe spend a little bit of civil time with you, not caught up in any of the drama we've been having lately. I don't understand why it's so hard to at least let me heal my broken heart." With that, Rachel got up and walked out of the rink.

Finn watched her walk away, not knowing what to say to make things any better. Only when she was already halfway out of the rink did he whisper to himself, "You can't heal it. I want to."

* * *

Rachel was sitting in her room, trying to finish her homework to take her mind off of Finn. Who was he to control who was supposed to be interested in her? He didn't own her anymore, and he wasn't hers either. She was giving him the space he wanted, wasn't he content with that already? _What's wrong with me? Why can't he get out of my thoughts already?_ she wondered. She heard a knock on her door, and Leroy's head popped in her room.

"You have a visitor downstairs," he said to her. As if he knew what Rachel was going to say, he continued, "It's not Finn."

Rachel got up, curious to see who the visitor was. She went down the stairs to see Austin standing at her doorway, in a pair of black slacks and a grey button-up shirt with the two top buttons unbuttoned and an undone tie hung around his neck. "Austin!" she said delightfully, and went up to hug him. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Hey you," he said, picking her up from the ground a little bit as they hugged. "I saw you leave early. I have to admit, I was pretty bummed, but Kurt gave me your address so I thought I'd stop by and see what your pretty face was up to."

Rachel tried to think of some emergency excuse quick. She really didn't want to explain the whole Finn situation. Especially not to a boy who might possibly be interested in her. "One of my dads needed to be picked up because he didn't take his car this morning," Rachel lied, hoping there wasn't any suspicion to it. To her relief, Austin smiled, indicating that he understood. "So, how'd the game end up?"

"It was pretty close, but we managed to hang on 4-3. All the goals were scored by this kid they call Puck. I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that he plays hockey. Could've thought up of a better name," Austin said, rambling kind of like Rachel did. She let out a laugh. "What?" he asked.

"They call him Puck cause his name's Noah Puckerman," Rachel explained to him. "Weird, he's one of my good friends, but I never knew he was that good at hockey."

"So, tell me, Rachel, how is it that this Puck guy, or anybody else, hasn't picked you up yet at McKinley? They must be way dumber than I thought over there," Austin said, taking Rachel's hands and placing them in him. "I saw your starting quarterback sitting beside you. Don't tell me I have competition."

Although Rachel's first impulse was to tell Austin everything about Finn and Puck, she didn't follow it. It was way too complicated and she knew the story made her sound like a psycho bitch. "Well, I'm actually kind of on the bottom of the totem pole at McKinley. I get slushies doused at my face almost daily," Rachel confessed. At least she could say that she was honest in one aspect of her life.

"Maybe I should transfer to McKinley to protect you," Austin joked.

"Ironically, someone's actually already done that before," Rachel laughed, remembering her ex-boyfriend. Well, actually, he was Austin's childhood best friend too.

"Damn," Austin muttered, smiling. "So who's this Finn character that Jesse speaks of? Was he the one sitting next to you at the game?"

Rachel got flustered, trying to find a reasonable way to reply to the question. "Oh, uh, Finn? Wh-what's Jesse said about him?"

"Just that you guys had been dating a long time and ended the relationship recently," Austin shrugged. Rachel's shoulders slumped with relaxation, considering she didn't have to explain to him about it, and probably end up crying.

"Oh, yeah," Rachel replied weakly. "He was the guy sitting next to me."

Austin raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Do I need to worry about him being around you all the time?" Rachel smiled. She liked this whole protectiveness that Austin had over her. Unfortunately, it reminded her of Finn a lot.

"No, it's fine, we're actually, uh," Rachel said, before pausing and gulping. "Just friends. Just like you and me, you know?"

Austin smiled, then put his arms on her shoulders. "Rachel, you're killing me. Is it not obvious at all that I kind of want to be more than friends?" he asked her, and Rachel blushed. She wasn't used to all of this attention, it had been a long time before she knew what it felt like.

But something inside of her just didn't click to where she wanted to say yes. Maybe it was because she was thinking of Finn too much right now, especially with the run-in. "I really like you, Austin. Like, really, really like you and I can't believe that you're actually standing here telling me all these things that I've always wanted to hear from a guy," Rachel said, starting to ramble, which made him start to smile. "But, like Jesse said, I just ended a long relationship with Finn, and I should probably take some time so I don't feel like I'm rushing into things.

Austin's smile got a little smaller, but he nodded with understanding. "That's completely fine with me," he said. "And this might sound like a 5 year old saying this, but when you've taken some time, I call dibs."

Rachel laughed, giving Austin a hug. "Absolutely."

"Well, I gotta go. My parents didn't know I didn't ride the team bus to the game, but I managed to pull it off. They'll start getting suspicious if I don't come home soon, since they're actually home," Austin explained to her, hugging the petite figure back.

Rachel kissed his cheek goodbye, and Austin's face lit up. He walked out of the front door, still looking at her until he got to his car.

* * *

Finn was in Wal-Mart, looking for where they kept the sugar that his mom had instructed him to buy. He always thought that Wal-Mart was a little too big, especially to find a small thing like sugar, and about 5 minutes into it, he was hopelessly lost. Luckily, he found a familiar face. "Rachel!" he exclaimed, at the familiar figure. She turned around, and then after realizing who it is, she tried to avert his direct gaze. "Sorry, for bothering you, I promise this isn't going to turn into a fight. I just, I don't know where they keep the sugar, and this place is really big and stuff." He laughed nervously.

Rachel laughed nervously too, crossing her legs and arms to show her uneasiness. "They're on Aisle 5," Rachel recited by heart. She loved using sugar, so she definitely knew where it was in a heartbeat.

"Oh, thanks," Finn said, and turned around to walk in that direction. About two steps into his walk, he turned back around to an also walking away Rachel. "Look, I'm really, really sorry about awhile ago. It seems like every time I get the opportunity to have a nice conversation with you, I ruin it."

"It's, it's fine. I kind of overreacted," Rachel stammered, still trying not to maintain eye contact. "I heard Puck did really well."

"Yeah," Finn smiled. "Yeah. He did. Your friend Austin was looking for you after the game. You're right, he is a really nice guy. And it seems like he really likes you, Rach."

Rachel winced at the nickname again, and disappointment started to seep in. She actually missed the jealous Finn, because she knew it meant that he still somewhat had feelings for her. "Umm, yeah," Rachel said. "He actually kind of asked me out today."

Finn's heart dropped, but he tried not to show it. _Don't get mad at her_, he thought to himself. _If you're gonna get her to fall in love with you again, you're going to need to stop getting her mad at you_. "I'm happy for you," he said after a long pause.

He turned around before Rachel could tell him what her response to Austin was, and he walked to Aisle 5 trying to fight back a complete breakdown right there.


	11. Chapter 11

Finn sat in the weight room Friday morning, trying to get in some reps before school started. Sam, Artie, and Puck accompanied him as usual. They had come to start a routine where they would go there every morning and lift, while getting some bro time in, of course. Usually, it was just some joking around time they had, but they did secretly like to keep up with each other's lives.

"So, what's up with the whole Rachel deal?" Artie asked Finn in the most nonchalant way, and hoped that the much larger guy wouldn't blow up. He even evaded eye contact so it didn't seem like he was curious. Sam and Puck, however, also expressed interest by falling silent and looking at Finn.

"I don't know," Finn said, trying to avoid having to explain it. When nobody spoke up afterwards, though, it was a clear sign for Finn to elaborate. "I mean, I still like her and all, but she's kind of with someone else now."

Sam, surprised by Finn's news, walked closer to him to hear more details. "Wait, do you know the guy? Does he go to this school? Cause I know with the 4 of us, we could probably intimidate him into breaking up with her."

Finn shook his head at the idea, no matter how attractive it sounded. "He doesn't go here," Finn explained. "He goes to Carmel. And he's pretty big, so I don't think he'd be that scared of us, actually."

Puck raised an eyebrow at the conversation. Even he knew how stupid the guys looked right now. "I may be the biggest douche bag in the world, but isn't it kind of a jackass move to break up your ex-girlfriend and another guy so she can stay miserable?"

Sam and Artie were both surprised at Puck's speech. "Um, dude," Artie started to say. "Finn and Rachel kind of belong with each other. That's the way things have been for like, forever, and it should stay that way." Sam nodded in agreement with Artie. Finn smiled a little, knowing that some guys were willing to look at it that way.

"No offense, Finn," Puck said, stopping from his ab workout. "But you and Rachel didn't exactly have the best relationship. I kind of learned this from a whole hour of listening to her problems." Finn paused for a moment, trying to contain any anger that was about to build up from Puck's statement. Although he could say a billion different things about Puck having no boundaries with girls and not knowing what a real relationship is, he refrained from mentioning any of it. Why? Because he knew that Puck was absolutely correct. He just nodded, and Puck could tell that he had actually taken the speech into consideration. "So, who's the guy? I might know him."

"This guy named Austin. He plays hockey," Finn replied, with a little of bitterness in mentioning his name. Sure, Finn did say he was happy for Rachel, but it didn't mean he liked Austin or anything. He would be civil with him, just because he knew Rachel would hate him forever if he weren't.

This time, it was Puck's turn to display a surprised look on his face. "No way," he said, trying to soak it all in. "Austin D'Arrico? The striker for Carmel?" Finn nodded somberly. "Man. That kid's got it pretty good, honestly. He's loaded, and he's the golden boy of Carmel, apparently. But the weird thing is, he's never gotten laid in his entire life. Said something about waiting for the right girl to come along."

"Umm, dude, how do you know that?" Sam asked.

"I have friends in Carmel. Sure, a lot of them are rich douche bags, but they have some pretty sick parties," Puck answered.

"Great, just what I needed," Finn muttered. "A guy who has the one thing I lost and need back."

"Well, two actually," Artie interjected. "Rachel, and a virginity." Sam and Puck nodded, seeing Artie's point.

"So if this guy's all perfect and everything, how does he not have a girlfriend?" Sam pointed out. There had to be something extremely wrong with the guy, to repel girls from him. Especially with all the things he supposedly had to offer. Sam, Artie, and Finn all look to Puck, expecting for him to have the answers.

"I don't know, guys. I don't stalk the guy," Puck answered, to which the three other guys started looking at each other with bright eyes. Puck picked up the suggestion that he had just thrown out there. "No. There is no way we're going to start stalking the guy. Geez, ever heard of dignity?"

Just when Finn was about to protest, the bell rang, signaling 5 minutes before first hour. All 4 guys stood up and headed to the locker rooms, ending their discussion.

Glee club rehearsal began, and everyone was seated at their usual spots. The only difference wasn't big now, with Finn only sitting one seat away from Rachel at the front row. They were on more civil terms since Finn's apology over his outburst, and they even exchanged small smiles in the beginning of practice.

"Hey Finn, why don't you come up here so you don't have to get infected with the loser virus?" Santana remarked, gesturing him to the back row. The only three people up there were Santana, Brittany, and Puck, as usual.

_Be the nice guy_, Finn thought to himself, trying hard not to act like a complete douche to Santana. "Um, no thanks," he said politely. "As a co-captain, I think I'd be more engaged if I sat in the front row." Rachel was surprised by the reply, but she decided to look forward and keep it to herself that she was extremely proud of Finn. Santana rolled her eyes, and pulled out a nail file to start her 'I'm too cool for this' phase.

Mr. Schuester walked into the room and took a seat in front of the piano. "So, today, we're going to focus on getting out the emotion out of all of you. In case you guys haven't noticed, last year, that was the one thing that we had that Vocal Adrenaline didn't. Now that they have Sunshine, though, she may add that. We just need to focus on showing that we're 12 voices filled with soul, not just one with mindless harmonizing. Does anyone have anything they would like to share?" Mr. Schuester looked across the room for any volunteers, slightly disappointed that nobody stepped up. After a few seconds, though, Puck raised his hand.

"I got one," he piped up. "It's a little late for the jazz and big band assignment, but whatever. This was actually inspired by my pool cleaning business, and the benefits that came along with it." Everyone let out a short laugh at Puck's antics. Puck walked up to the room, surprisingly without a guitar this time.

__

Me and Mrs Jones, we got a thing going on  
We both know that it's wrong  
But it's much too strong to let it go now

We meet ev'ry day at the same cafe  
Six-thirty and no one knows she'll be there  
Holding hands, making all kinds of plans  
While the jukebox plays our favorite song

Me and Mrs, Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones  
We got a thing going on  
We both know that it's wrong  
But it's much too strong to let it go now

We gotta be extra careful  
That we don't build our hopes too high  
Cause she's got her own obligations and so do I  
Me, me and Mrs, Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones

Well, it's time for us to be leaving  
And it hurts so much, it hurts so much inside  
And now she'll go her way, I'll go mine  
But tomorrow we'll meet at the same place, the same time  
Me and Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones

The room fell in shock, not knowing that Noah Puckerman could actually hit those notes with such emotion. Rachel started the applause, quite relieved that Puck was capable of maybe carrying a male lead. She knew that it would be extremely awkward now if Finn and her shared the lead duet every time, and that it would lack chemistry.

"That was… amazing, Puck," Mr. Schuester remarked, also shocked like the rest of the room. "How come you don't sing like that all the time?" Puck shrugged, then returned to his seat. "Alright, well… does anyone else have anything to share?"

"I, I have one. I'm not really good with words, and I guess I'm a little bit more comfortable singing stuff, you know?" he explained, with a sincere smile. Mr. Schuester nodded in agreement.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Get on with it, Frankenteen," she whined. Finn got up from his seat and walked up to the front of the room.

__

Beauty queen of only eighteen  
She had some trouble with herself  
He was always there to help her  
She always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles  
And wound up at your door  
I've had you so many times but somehow  
I want more

I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
She will be loved

Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful  
I know I tend to get so insecure  
It doesn't matter anymore

It's not always rainbows and butterflies  
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah  
My heart is full and my door's always open  
You can come anytime you want

I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved

I know where you hide  
Alone in your car  
Know all of the things that make you who you are  
I know that goodbye means nothing at all  
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful

I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye  
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Yeah

I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Try so hard to say goodbye

Finn finished the song, and the room fell silent again, except for Mr. Schuester, who applauded. "Finn… that was exceptional. Probably your best solo performance yet. I really think this is how we're going to win Regionals, guys."

The room was still completely silent, with everyone staring to see how Rachel would react. If she did react.

After what seemed like the longest 15 seconds ever, Rachel finally spoke up. "That was really, really good, Finn," she said, trying to fight back tears. It was the first time in a long time, Rachel felt like they were still together.

"Thanks, Rachel," Finn smiled at her, and she could tell that he felt it too.


End file.
